What books am I missing? And what did you miss this year that you're hoping to go back and read?
The Best Books I Haven't Read... Yet
27 December 2013
I read a lot of really, truly wonderful books this year, but I know I also missed some big titles. Such is the case in any reader's life; the classic so-many-books-so-little-time conundrum is downright unavoidable. It's a good problem to have, though, because it means a wealth of titillating titles (see what I did there?) are waiting for me at any given moment. Here's a few key titles I missed this year that I'm still aiming to go back and pick up... eventually:
What books am I missing? And what did you miss this year that you're hoping to go back and read?
What books am I missing? And what did you miss this year that you're hoping to go back and read?
The 2014 TBR Challenge
20 December 2013
As I prepare for another great year of reading, I'm looking back at some of my reading goals for 2013 and noting that I particularly fell down in my goal of reading books I already own. I'm constantly distracted by the new shiny book on the shelves of the bookstores and libraries I haunt, and I'm collecting books at a rate far higher than I could ever hope to read.
So to focus my efforts a bit in 2014, I'm signing up for Roof Beam Reader's 5th annual TBR Challenge, with the goal of reading 12 books I already own in the 12 months of 2014. This should not be that hard, right?
On my list:
1) Stoner, by John Williams
2) The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway
3) A Room of One's Own, by Virginia Woolf
4) The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
5) Fear of Flying, by Erica Jong
6) Everything Beautiful Began After, by Simon Van Booy
7) When Women Were Birds, by Terry Tempest Williams
8) Dracula, by Bram Stoker
9) Case Histories, by Kate Atkinson
10) The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan
11) Room, by Emma Donoghue
12) Born to Run, by Christopher McDougall
Alternates (because sometimes I'm indecisive, and also I can't currently recall which books are in storage and which are un-stored and therefore accessible to me right now, so just to be safe, I want some extras):
1) Letters to a Young Poet, by Rainier Maria Rilke
2) Birds of a Lesser Paradise, by Meghan Mayhew Bergman
3) The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, by Oliver Sachs
4) Cat's Eye, by Margaret Atwood
5) The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russel
Here's to a year of tackling the mountain of books I already own, getting to some oldies-but-goodies, and remembering why I bought all these books in the first place.
2013 Favorites: A Categorized List
18 December 2013
Because I can't pass up an opportunity for a good list, or a chance to talk about my favorite books:
Best Book I Waited for All Year: The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt. I couldn't have a year-end list that didn't include this dazzling novel of a young boy, a stolen painting, and the way the latter shapes the life of the former. Like we've come to expect from Tartt, this novel is big, complex, and rich. It's downright wonderful.
Best Book I Didn't Review: A Tale for the Time Being, by Ruth Ozeki. I put off reading this for reasons unknown to me, and I am kicking myself (HARD) for doing so. It's an amazing story of youth and forgiveness and life and death and happiness and philosophy and quantum physics and everything else you want to read about, so read it.
Best Historical Fiction: Life After Life, by Kate Atkinson. I read a lot of historical fiction (of the 100 odd books I read in 2013, 24 were historical fiction), and I knew this would be one of my top reads of 2013 by the time I was 50 pages in. It only got better from there. This story of a woman who relives her life over and over and over again touches on so much of British history, World War II, the importance of will and desire in living (and dying) and so many other things, without ever feeling redundant. Read my full review of Life After Life.
Best Audio: Joyland, by Stephen King. It took me a bit to get into the narrator on this one--he was somewhat flat and had a tendency to mumble--but by the end, his voice completely embodied the voice of Dev, a young man working in a potentially haunted amusement park over summer vacation. I'm only just diving into the world of Stephen King, and this was another hit for me. Read my full review of Joyland.
Best Horror: NOS4A2, by Joe Hill. I've never been a big horror reader, so the fact that I read more than one contender for this category is pretty shocking. Night Film and The Shining Girls were both excellent, but NOS4A2 had the added elements of wit and imagination that really win me over in a book. And it's downright terrifying at times. Read my full review of NOS4A2.
Best Feminism: The Woman Upstairs, by Claire Messud. Holy highlighter, batman. I noted and annotated so many pages of this book (which was a library copy, which meant lots of post-it notes) because so much of it resonated in ways I can't begin to explain. If you read books to find characters you love, don't read this. If you read it to find a story that speaks to the anger and rage that so many people--particularly women--feel at being pushed into a life they never expected, too scared to fight for their dreams, well, read this.
Best Indie Press Read: The Revolution of Every Day, by Cari Luna. I picked this up at BEA at the urging of Catherine from Gilmore Guide to Books, and I'm so very glad I did. This is a quiet story at first, about a group of squatters living in an old tenement building in the East Village, but it builds to a startling climax that forced me, as a previous resident of the neighborhood (and part of the very gentrification against which these squatters fought) to reconsider the basic right of housing that so many of us take for granted.
Best Nonfiction: Gulp, by Mary Roach. Because it would be impossible for Roach to publish something without my reading it, impossible (I hope) for her to write something I don't love, and impossible not to include a new Roach book on a best-of list somehow.
Best Biography/Memoir: The World's Strongest Librarian, by Josh Hanagarne. Libraries + books + faith + dealing with Tourette's + strongman weightlifting = recipe for one helluvan intriguing read. It doesn't hurt that Hanagarne's a damn good storyteller, or that his memoir will grow your TBR list in droves, either. Read my full review of The World's Strongest Librarian.
Best Sports: Running Like a Girl, by Alexandra Heminsley. Ok, this might be cheating because I think this is the only "sports" book I read all year, but I loved it, and want to keep telling everyone to read it, so I'm going to do just that: Read this. It's funny and witty and inspirational and encouraging for wannabe, newbie or seasoned runners alike. Read my full review of Running Like a Girl.
That's the best of 2013 from my year in reading. I know I missed some really wonderful-looking books, many of which I have stockpiled in my house and on my e-reader, and I'm hoping to get to those sooner than later--what should I be sure not to miss?
Best Book I Didn't Review: A Tale for the Time Being, by Ruth Ozeki. I put off reading this for reasons unknown to me, and I am kicking myself (HARD) for doing so. It's an amazing story of youth and forgiveness and life and death and happiness and philosophy and quantum physics and everything else you want to read about, so read it.
Best Historical Fiction: Life After Life, by Kate Atkinson. I read a lot of historical fiction (of the 100 odd books I read in 2013, 24 were historical fiction), and I knew this would be one of my top reads of 2013 by the time I was 50 pages in. It only got better from there. This story of a woman who relives her life over and over and over again touches on so much of British history, World War II, the importance of will and desire in living (and dying) and so many other things, without ever feeling redundant. Read my full review of Life After Life.
Best Audio: Joyland, by Stephen King. It took me a bit to get into the narrator on this one--he was somewhat flat and had a tendency to mumble--but by the end, his voice completely embodied the voice of Dev, a young man working in a potentially haunted amusement park over summer vacation. I'm only just diving into the world of Stephen King, and this was another hit for me. Read my full review of Joyland.
Best Horror: NOS4A2, by Joe Hill. I've never been a big horror reader, so the fact that I read more than one contender for this category is pretty shocking. Night Film and The Shining Girls were both excellent, but NOS4A2 had the added elements of wit and imagination that really win me over in a book. And it's downright terrifying at times. Read my full review of NOS4A2.
Best Feminism: The Woman Upstairs, by Claire Messud. Holy highlighter, batman. I noted and annotated so many pages of this book (which was a library copy, which meant lots of post-it notes) because so much of it resonated in ways I can't begin to explain. If you read books to find characters you love, don't read this. If you read it to find a story that speaks to the anger and rage that so many people--particularly women--feel at being pushed into a life they never expected, too scared to fight for their dreams, well, read this.
Best Indie Press Read: The Revolution of Every Day, by Cari Luna. I picked this up at BEA at the urging of Catherine from Gilmore Guide to Books, and I'm so very glad I did. This is a quiet story at first, about a group of squatters living in an old tenement building in the East Village, but it builds to a startling climax that forced me, as a previous resident of the neighborhood (and part of the very gentrification against which these squatters fought) to reconsider the basic right of housing that so many of us take for granted.
Best Nonfiction: Gulp, by Mary Roach. Because it would be impossible for Roach to publish something without my reading it, impossible (I hope) for her to write something I don't love, and impossible not to include a new Roach book on a best-of list somehow.
Best Biography/Memoir: The World's Strongest Librarian, by Josh Hanagarne. Libraries + books + faith + dealing with Tourette's + strongman weightlifting = recipe for one helluvan intriguing read. It doesn't hurt that Hanagarne's a damn good storyteller, or that his memoir will grow your TBR list in droves, either. Read my full review of The World's Strongest Librarian.
Best Sports: Running Like a Girl, by Alexandra Heminsley. Ok, this might be cheating because I think this is the only "sports" book I read all year, but I loved it, and want to keep telling everyone to read it, so I'm going to do just that: Read this. It's funny and witty and inspirational and encouraging for wannabe, newbie or seasoned runners alike. Read my full review of Running Like a Girl.
-------------------
That's the best of 2013 from my year in reading. I know I missed some really wonderful-looking books, many of which I have stockpiled in my house and on my e-reader, and I'm hoping to get to those sooner than later--what should I be sure not to miss?
Audiobook Review: The Paris Architect, by Charles Belfoure
16 December 2013
This review originally ran in the Friday, November 22nd issue of Shelf Awareness for Readers. If you don't already subscribe, sign up here for a bi-weekly dose of bookish goodness in your inbox.
Like most Gentiles in the Nazi-occupied Paris of Charles Belfoure's debut novel, Lucien Barnard has no great love for Jews. Strapped for cash, however, the architect accepts commissions to design hiding places for Jews in exchange for considerable sums of money and the promise of lucrative building contracts. But when one of his hiding places fails, he is no longer able to keep his emotions separate from his work, and finds himself drawn into a dangerous game of two-timing the Germans: working for them by day, designing spaces against them at night.
Along with the architectural details that reveal Belfoure's own pre-literary architectural career, the historical details of The Paris Architect bring to life the terrible and terrifying atmosphere of the occupied city, from neighbors turning each other in to the Gestapo to the brutal public murders of Jews and their protectors.
The novel's supporting cast is vast and varied, but narrator Mark Bramhall gives each voice enough differentiation to make Lucien stand apart from the crowd of characters. His portrayal of Lucien's emotional experience transforms a despicable, unlikable character into the unlikely protagonist of an adult coming-of-age tale, staring down his own cowardice and greed in the face of human kindness.
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The Paris Architect | Charles Belfoure, read by Mark Bramhall | Random House Audio | July 2013 | Unabridged, 11 hours
Like most Gentiles in the Nazi-occupied Paris of Charles Belfoure's debut novel, Lucien Barnard has no great love for Jews. Strapped for cash, however, the architect accepts commissions to design hiding places for Jews in exchange for considerable sums of money and the promise of lucrative building contracts. But when one of his hiding places fails, he is no longer able to keep his emotions separate from his work, and finds himself drawn into a dangerous game of two-timing the Germans: working for them by day, designing spaces against them at night.Along with the architectural details that reveal Belfoure's own pre-literary architectural career, the historical details of The Paris Architect bring to life the terrible and terrifying atmosphere of the occupied city, from neighbors turning each other in to the Gestapo to the brutal public murders of Jews and their protectors.
The novel's supporting cast is vast and varied, but narrator Mark Bramhall gives each voice enough differentiation to make Lucien stand apart from the crowd of characters. His portrayal of Lucien's emotional experience transforms a despicable, unlikable character into the unlikely protagonist of an adult coming-of-age tale, staring down his own cowardice and greed in the face of human kindness.
---
The Paris Architect | Charles Belfoure, read by Mark Bramhall | Random House Audio | July 2013 | Unabridged, 11 hours
Book Review: The Santa Klaus Murder, by Mavis Doriel Hay
13 December 2013
This review originally ran in the Tuesday, December 10th issue of Shelf Awareness for Readers. If you don't already subscribe, sign up here for a bi-weekly dose of bookish goodness in your inbox.
The Santa Klaus Murder, one of three detective novels written by Mavis Doriel Hay in the 1930s, is a classic country-house murder mystery with a holiday twist. The story opens with the gathering of Sir Osmond Melbury's family at his estate for the Christmas holiday. The grandfatherly figure, known for his wealth and lack of patience, has planned an elaborate Santa Klaus ruse for his grandchildren, complete with gifts and holiday noisemakers. But when Sir Osmond is found shot in the study, every member of the family comes under suspicion.
Was it his youngest daughter, seeking to claim her inheritance while marrying against Sir Osmond's wishes? Was it his oldest son, hoping to protect the fortune from his money-grubbing sisters? Or was it his eldest daughter, bitter over having been denied her income for also choosing a husband not to her father's liking? As the details unfold, it becomes apparent each and every member of Sir Osmond's rather unlikable family had a motive to kill the patriarch, and it is left to Colonel Halstock to determine which family member had not just the motive but the opportunity.
Part of the British Library's Crime Classics series, The Santa Klaus Murder is a re-issue of a forgotten British cozy that warrants attention as both a classic British mystery novel and as a holiday read. The large number of point-of-view characters can be confusing at times, but once the story finds its footing, it moves stealthily toward an intriguing and not altogether predictable conclusion.
The Santa Klaus Murder, one of three detective novels written by Mavis Doriel Hay in the 1930s, is a classic country-house murder mystery with a holiday twist. The story opens with the gathering of Sir Osmond Melbury's family at his estate for the Christmas holiday. The grandfatherly figure, known for his wealth and lack of patience, has planned an elaborate Santa Klaus ruse for his grandchildren, complete with gifts and holiday noisemakers. But when Sir Osmond is found shot in the study, every member of the family comes under suspicion.
Was it his youngest daughter, seeking to claim her inheritance while marrying against Sir Osmond's wishes? Was it his oldest son, hoping to protect the fortune from his money-grubbing sisters? Or was it his eldest daughter, bitter over having been denied her income for also choosing a husband not to her father's liking? As the details unfold, it becomes apparent each and every member of Sir Osmond's rather unlikable family had a motive to kill the patriarch, and it is left to Colonel Halstock to determine which family member had not just the motive but the opportunity.
Part of the British Library's Crime Classics series, The Santa Klaus Murder is a re-issue of a forgotten British cozy that warrants attention as both a classic British mystery novel and as a holiday read. The large number of point-of-view characters can be confusing at times, but once the story finds its footing, it moves stealthily toward an intriguing and not altogether predictable conclusion.
---
The Santa Klaus Murder | Mavis Doriel Hay | British Library | November 2013 (originally published 1936) | Paperback
Redux: Bookish Gift Bows
11 December 2013
This post originally ran last year, but it seemed fitting to re-post it for the holiday season. Now you have ways to wrap all those books recommended in last week's book gifts recommendation posts:
Just in time for the holidays! Because we all know that no matter how early we finish our shopping (or how late we start it), there's always the wrapping to follow. Modified from original instructions in Playing With Books, I've been trying my hand at some handmade bows made out of book pages:
Let me begin by saying this: I am not a particularly crafty person. I do not have a lot of patience for small, difficult things. Like knitting. I hate knitting. And anything that involves threading a needle. I like shortcuts. I like crafts that involve minimal steps, minimal supplies, minimal tools. If I can do this, you can do this.
To start, you'll need:
Step 0: Take a deep breath. You are about to cut pages out of a book. My only recommendation for making this easier is to go to your local library and buy a book out front that you intend to cut up, which prevents forming any attachment to it. I chose The Naming of Names, a book about the history of plant names, because it had nice typesetting and a luscious, creamy paper stock, and is a subject about which I have zero interest. So.
Step 1: Cut 9-12 strips of book pages, approximately 3/4 in x 7-9 inches (you can be flexible in the size of your strips, but you'll definitely want them all to be consistent). If you cut longer strips, you'll most likely need more strips to fill in the bow. Longer strips = taller bow. Shorter strips = less required, but smaller final product.
Step 2: Place a small piece of double-sided sticky tape (or a small circle of single-sided sticky tape) in the center of the strip. Fold one end down, and twist end 180 degrees before affixing to the tape. Think of the twist in the Breast Cancer Awareness ribbons. Do that. Make sure that when you do this, you don't cover up all of the tape, as you need some to stick down the other end, too.
Step 3: Do the same thing on the other side. Note: If you don't think in 3 dimensions, as I don't, you might have to twist it a few different ways to figure out how to get the ends to align in the middle like this. You're not alone.
Presto digito! You have a book bow. Happy Wrapping!
---
Just in time for the holidays! Because we all know that no matter how early we finish our shopping (or how late we start it), there's always the wrapping to follow. Modified from original instructions in Playing With Books, I've been trying my hand at some handmade bows made out of book pages:
Let me begin by saying this: I am not a particularly crafty person. I do not have a lot of patience for small, difficult things. Like knitting. I hate knitting. And anything that involves threading a needle. I like shortcuts. I like crafts that involve minimal steps, minimal supplies, minimal tools. If I can do this, you can do this.
To start, you'll need:
- Tape (preferably double-sided tape, but you can use single sided if that's what you have on hand. I did, and it worked fine. Just be prepared to roll lots of little tape circles so you can mimic double-sided tape.)
- Scissors
- A book you are willing to cut up (this is the hardest part, I promise).
Step 0: Take a deep breath. You are about to cut pages out of a book. My only recommendation for making this easier is to go to your local library and buy a book out front that you intend to cut up, which prevents forming any attachment to it. I chose The Naming of Names, a book about the history of plant names, because it had nice typesetting and a luscious, creamy paper stock, and is a subject about which I have zero interest. So.
Step 1: Cut 9-12 strips of book pages, approximately 3/4 in x 7-9 inches (you can be flexible in the size of your strips, but you'll definitely want them all to be consistent). If you cut longer strips, you'll most likely need more strips to fill in the bow. Longer strips = taller bow. Shorter strips = less required, but smaller final product.
Step 2: Place a small piece of double-sided sticky tape (or a small circle of single-sided sticky tape) in the center of the strip. Fold one end down, and twist end 180 degrees before affixing to the tape. Think of the twist in the Breast Cancer Awareness ribbons. Do that. Make sure that when you do this, you don't cover up all of the tape, as you need some to stick down the other end, too.
Step 3: Do the same thing on the other side. Note: If you don't think in 3 dimensions, as I don't, you might have to twist it a few different ways to figure out how to get the ends to align in the middle like this. You're not alone.
Step 4: Repeat step 3 over and over and over again.
Step 5: Place a small square of tape in the center of one of the loops, and place another inside it perpendicular to the first one. Place another piece of tape inside this next one, and keep layering loops on top of each other, varying the angle of the strips. They'll naturally push themselves up into a bow shape as you get taller and taller.
Step 5: Place a small square of tape in the center of one of the loops, and place another inside it perpendicular to the first one. Place another piece of tape inside this next one, and keep layering loops on top of each other, varying the angle of the strips. They'll naturally push themselves up into a bow shape as you get taller and taller.
Presto digito! You have a book bow. Happy Wrapping!
---
Playing with Books: The Art of Upcycling, Reconstructing and Reimagining Books | Jason Thompson | Quarry Books | 9781592536009 | $24.99 Paperback |152 pages | April 2010 | Buy from an independent bookstore near you
Gift Guide: Literary Gifts That Keep On Giving
10 December 2013
Every year, the holiday shopping frenzy seems to get bigger and bigger. As Brett Arends points out in this interesting (if overtly religious) MarketWatch article, we can no longer even expect to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal without being inundated with the calls to shop, shop, shop.
So this holiday season, I'm trying to take a step back from the the buy-buy-buy mentality to try to give-give-give-give. Here are a few easy ways to give back to the literary community this holiday season, whether you shop til' you drop or... not:
Out of Print Clothing (and gifts and jewelry): For every purchase made on Out of Print's site, one book is donated to a community in need through the site's partner, Books for Africa. And they have awesome bookish goodies, from t-shirts to fleeces to necklaces to tote bags to journals.
AmazonSmile: From the AmazonSmile "About" page:
FirstBook: FirstBook is an organization committed to obtaining access to new books for children in need. You can shop the FirstBook Gift Catalog, selecting from sets of books or more general support funds, in the name of your gift-ee, or you can make a donation directly to the organization in honor of your gift recipient. Now through December 31st, all donations will give triple the number of books to children in need due to a matching offer.
Reach Out and Read: Reach Out and Read serves 4 million children annually, according to their website, with 5,000 program sites nationwide (in all 50 states). They distribute new books to children and advice to parents on the evidence-based benefits of reading aloud. You can donate directly on their site and make the donation in the name of your gift recipient--and they currently have a match that will double all donations made (up to $250,000).
So this holiday season, I'm trying to take a step back from the the buy-buy-buy mentality to try to give-give-give-give. Here are a few easy ways to give back to the literary community this holiday season, whether you shop til' you drop or... not:
-----------------
Out of Print Clothing (and gifts and jewelry): For every purchase made on Out of Print's site, one book is donated to a community in need through the site's partner, Books for Africa. And they have awesome bookish goodies, from t-shirts to fleeces to necklaces to tote bags to journals.
-----------------
AmazonSmile: From the AmazonSmile "About" page:
"AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. You can choose from nearly one million organizations to support."Amazon may not be the best friend of indie bookstores across the country, but if you're already shopping on Amazon, this is a simple, no-brainer way to make your purchase give back--and you can select your charity, allowing you to customize your donation. The list of participating charities is loooong, and includes regional and national organizations.
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FirstBook: FirstBook is an organization committed to obtaining access to new books for children in need. You can shop the FirstBook Gift Catalog, selecting from sets of books or more general support funds, in the name of your gift-ee, or you can make a donation directly to the organization in honor of your gift recipient. Now through December 31st, all donations will give triple the number of books to children in need due to a matching offer.
-----------------
Reach Out and Read: Reach Out and Read serves 4 million children annually, according to their website, with 5,000 program sites nationwide (in all 50 states). They distribute new books to children and advice to parents on the evidence-based benefits of reading aloud. You can donate directly on their site and make the donation in the name of your gift recipient--and they currently have a match that will double all donations made (up to $250,000).
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